Okuagu dodged a claw strike from the lion, before using his spear as he attempted to stab it in the throat. The lion's body once again turned incorporeal as it slowly moved from the circle that Okuagu, Boaruss, Lee and Emerald had cornered it into.
The lion using the shadow from a rock on the ground appeared at the back of Boaruss it's maw opened wide sinking it's teeth into his shoulder. Boaruss with a vicious shove dislodged the lion that now had crimson blood dripping from its fangs. Boaruss groaned in pain as he struggled to use his axe to deliver a slash aimed at the lion's throat. The lion easily dodged the attack before it dissolved into the shadows once more. "Got you" Lee thought as he slashed at the lion that was slowly appearing from a nearby shadow. The lion roared in pain as it observed the ghastly wound on its shoulder. "That's the spirit" Emerald cheered as she waved her daggers in the air.
The lion however was perplexed on how the human had pinpointed his position and more still by the fact that the human with the light gift had yet to attack and had seemingly disappeared from the battle. "Humans are such cowards" the lion eventually said to itself as it dove into the shadows once more. Lee on the other hand knew that his attack had been dumb luck and he for one could not really predict the lion's next move. Okuagu this time howled in pain as the lion clawed at his chest ripping it open before it disappeared once more, Okuagu in pain hurled his spear at the lion's shadow which was now dealing with Lee. The spear struck the ground as expected rendering the lion no harm whatsoever.
Lee's katana was knocked out of his hand with a vicious smack leaving him defenseless as the lion dove in and out of the shadows to attack leaving him with no sure fire means to defend. Emerald ran with great speed towards Lee as she hoped to assist him against the lion. A clicking sound echoed throughout the cave moments before the spear on the ground burst into a huge amounts of flame momentarily lighting up the cave.
The lion not expecting this attack and with no shadow to hide in, was burned considerably as part of its black skin peeled to reveal pink flesh underneath. Emerald using this moment threw a dagger at the lion while she dragged a now bleeding Lee from the area. The lion with a turn of its shaggy head dodged the dagger as it turned its now blazing eyes towards the two humans that were trying to escape.
"Not so fast" Gale said out loud moments before the dagger in a great bursts of wind stabbed the lion in one of its many burns. The lion roared in pain before it dove into the shadows again leaving the dagger on the floor.
The lion this time seemed to fall out of its beloved shadows as it tumbled to the ground confused, minutes before Boaruss fist crashed into its jaws; sending it flying into the cave. "YOU MICE POISONED ME! The lion roared its jaw hanging as countless shadows (save for the squad's own) surged from the surroundings covering it in a sort of armor as it radiated an insane amount of power.
The lion roared in fury running towards the now weakened squad. "Not today! Diamond shouted as she appeared out of nowhere seconds before her dark sword slashed into the lion's chest; spewing blood everywhere and causing it to tumble into the walls. "You use DARK magic" whimpered the lion as it backed into the wall it's eyes full of fear. "Yes the natural enemy to both shadow and Light though I will prefer if you will call it a gift" Diamond said as she closed the distance between them. And in one fatal slash the head of the shadow lion tumbled to the ground, it's blood painting the dark floors bright red. The plan had gone smoothly for the lion the whole time thought that the squad considered a light gift attack was the only counter to its shadow attack. This of course would have been wrong for shadows and light have great affinity for each other while darkness on the other hand was the only element that proved as a sufficient counter for the two. Diamond all the while had not attacked since because they could not afford for the lion to know that someone on their squad possessed darkness magic.
So the rest had simply weakened and occupied the lion until Diamond had finally found an opening to strike. Another plus to the attack was the fact that her gift seemed to be a whole lot stronger when surrounded by pure elemental darkness.
Boaruss, Lee and Okuagu's wounds were quickly bandaged after which the squad decided to rest for a little longer before they continued in the labyrinth with the hope that their future enemies would not be as slippery and cunning as the last one.